Signage is critical for storefront businesses. Well-designed signs can attract customers and build brand recognition.

Premade signs may not fit your brand and making your own allows creative freedom and customization.

Online design tools now make it easy for small businesses to create customized signage without the need for professional design services.

With the right online design program and a creative vision, small businesses can make eye-catching, on-brand signs that showcase their business personality.

Cost Savings

Premade signs from print shops or graphic design firms can be quite expensive, especially for large format signs like banners or exterior storefront signs. Custom outdoor business signs can cost anywhere from $7,500 to $10,000. More affordable options like vinyl banners may run $15-$25 per square foot.

You only have to pay for the specific printed signage you need for your business. The online design platforms are either completely free or available as low cost subscriptions starting under $10/month. This gives you the flexibility to test out different signage options without a major upfront investment.

Creating customized sign templates yourself using free design software allows small businesses to save significantly compared to ordering premade signage. You can print signage on your own schedule and budget.

Creative Control

One of the biggest benefits of designing your own signs and signage is the creative control it gives you. When you make your own signs, you have the freedom to perfectly match your branding style.

You can incorporate your business’s exact logo, colors, and fonts into the sign design. This creates signage that aligns with your website, business cards, and interior design.1

Crafting your own messaging and wording allows you to tailor signs specifically for your products, services, and promotions. The sign can include all the details you want to feature.

With DIY sign design, you have complete flexibility over the shapes, sizes, and formats you create. You can design a customized set of signs including banners, posters, window graphics, and 3D signs all formatted perfectly for their display locations.2

Easy Updates

One of the benefits of creating your own signage is that you can easily change and update signs as often as needed. Custom signs allow you to promote sales or special offers simply by swapping out your sign artwork. For example, you could create a sale sign promoting 20% off for the weekend, and then revert back to your normal pricing signage after the promotion ends. With professionally printed signs, this level of flexibility would be costly and time consuming.

Digitally designed sign artwork also means you can keep the files on hand for use anytime in the future. Rather than completely starting from scratch each time you need a new sign, you’ll have templates and assets ready to go. This makes updating signs fast and efficient. Some online design tools like Canva even let you save and organize your designs online for one-click access whenever you need them again.

The ability to effortlessly update and modify signs is a major advantage of the DIY sign creation approach. You can quickly respond to new promotions, offerings and seasonal messaging simply by loading one of your customized templates and making a few tweaks.

Top Free Online Sign Design Tools

There are many great free online sign design tools available to create professional quality signage and graphics for your business. These tools provide intuitive editing features, customizable templates, and high resolution image outputs without the cost of paid software. Some top free options to consider include:

Canva – Canva is one of the most popular free design tools with an easy drag and drop interface and extensive template library. It offers a huge range of pre-made layouts for posters, banners, flyers, and social graphics. You can customize colours, fonts, images and elements like your logo.

PicMonkey – PicMonkey provides photo editing and graphic design features for making social posts, signage, banners and other visuals. The online editor is user friendly and there are many fonts, graphics, and design effects to utilize. PicMonkey offers a free basic plan as well as paid upgrades.

PosterMyWall – PosterMyWall has an extensive template library with over 1 million design templates for posters, flyers, cards, banners, signs and more. The templates are fully customizable and editable. PosterMyWall has a free plan with watermark removal available in paid tiers.

The key advantage of using free online design tools is that you can create great looking, customized signage and marketing materials without needing to purchase expensive graphic design software. The free versions provide ample features and templates to design quality signage for most small business needs.

Customizing Sign Templates for your Business

Once you’ve selected a template, the next step is to customize it for your specific business. There are several ways to make the template your own:

• Add your logo, brand colors, and other branding elements. Most design tools allow you to upload images and swap out colors to match your brand.
• Edit the wording and messaging for your purposes. Change graphics text to include your company name, services, contact info or any other details.
• Resize, add, delete, or rearrange template elements as needed. Move items around, alter shapes and adjust layout to your preferences.
• Design for different sign formats and sizes like posters, banners, yard signs, window graphics, etc. Most tools include options for various dimensions.

The benefit of using a template is that the basic design is done for you. But you want to ensure the finished product reflects your business. Take time to adapt the template by adding in your own text, brand assets, colors and more. With some simple tweaks, you can transform a generic template into customized signage.

Sign Types to Create for Your Business

When designing your own custom signage, there are many different sign formats you may want to make depending on your business’s needs. Here are some of the most popular sign types for small businesses:

Exterior Signs

Exterior signage placed outside your brick and mortar location helps attract foot traffic and visibility. Popular exterior sign options include:

• Yard signs – Place these signs outside your business on the sidewalk or lawn. They’re great for promoting sales or events [1].
• Banners – Hang eye-catching banners above your storefront or on your building exterior. Banners allow you to frequently change messaging [2].
• Window graphics – Use vinyl decals and window clings to transform your glass windows into attention-grabbing displays.

Interior Signs

Signage inside your business helps with branding, navigation and providing information. Popular interior sign options include:

• Wall art – Framed prints and canvas art displays your branding throughout your location.
• Door signs – Identify individual offices and rooms with professional-looking door signs.
• Wayfinding – Use signs with arrows or room numbers to guide customers through your space.

Promotional Signs

To promote sales, specials and events, try using:

• Posters – Bold and visually appealing posters displayed in-store build awareness.
• Flyers – Hand out or mail flyers to generate interest and leads.

Informational & Directional Signs

Signs that provide helpful details or point visitors in the right direction like:

• Instructional signs – Communicate important information clearly.
• Hours of operation – Display your hours prominently for customers.
• Directional signage – Use signs with arrows to guide foot traffic.

Printing & Production

When your sign designs are complete, you’ll need to determine the best way to print and produce them. There are several materials commonly used for sign printing like vinyl, coroplast, acrylic, aluminum, foam board, and more. The material you choose depends on factors like durability, weather-resistance, appearance, and cost.

For professional quality printing, consider using an online service like Vistaprint, Signs.com, or GotPrint for vinyl banners, acrylic, metal, and other sign materials. These services allow you to upload your design files and get durable, high quality signs shipped directly to you.[1]

For DIY printing, you can use a standard home printer and specialty papers to create signs on vinyl, sticker paper, weatherproof sheets, and more. Use an inkjet printer for printing posters, flyers, and paper signs. A laser printer is better for longevity. For coroplast yard signs, use a utility knife to cut to size.

When it comes to displaying your signs, consider hanging banners with grommets, using stakes or frames for yard signs, and adhesive vinyls for window and wall graphics. Get creative with functional yet eye-catching sign displays.

Pros & Cons

Creating your own custom business signage can provide many advantages for Kansas City companies.

By designing your own signs, you gain full creative control over the look and feel, while also saving significantly on costs compared to ordering pre-made signage. With user-friendly free online design tools, it’s easy to customize professional-looking templates to match your branding.

Key benefits of DIY signage include having signs that are tailored to your business’s specific messaging and image. You also avoid the limitations of pre-made designs that may not fully fit.

And designing them yourself means you can update and modify signs anytime you want. This allows you to keep signage fresh and relevant.

With some great free design tools now available, stunning customized signs are within reach for any small business’ budget. So don’t settle for generic signage. Take control of your branding and connect better with customers by creating signage unique to your company.

The next step is to start designing your own eye-catching signs today using the user-friendly platforms highlighted here. In no time, you can have beautiful customized signs that make your business stand out even more in the Kansas City area.

The downside is that most business owners don’t have the time (or skill) to design their own signs, even with a template.

That’s where we come in.

Custom Signs

Nothing makes a business stand out more from its competitors like a new custom sign. From backlit channel letter signs, digital signs, and neon signs to monument signs, we work with you to design custom signage that meets your design criteria, budgetary constraints, and timeline. 

Say hello to a long lasting custom sign that helps increase foot traffic and brand recognition.